MARLENE DUMAS

The Enemy, oil on canvas, 2024. All rights reserved to the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London.

Much like the mechanical motion of writing through automatism, conceived by the surrealists to unveil the innermost secrets of our unconscious, Dumas hands the reins of her practice to randomness. She begins the process by placing unambiguous blobs of paint onto a canvas, relying on her concept of ‘Pareidolia’—a term she uses to describe the ability to perceive images in ambiguous visual patterns.

However, this isn’t to say that there isn’t a logic behind her actions or a predetermined meaning to them. Dumas steps forward from a delightfully Manichaean Greek mythology. She titles her show ‘Mourning Marsyas,’ an alliteration that references themes of grief and loss.

Marsyas, in this context, refers to the satyr who was skinned alive by the Greek god Apollo after challenging him to a music competition. Apollo won by playing his lyre upside down, while Marsyas's flute could not be played that way. Consequently, he was brutally skinned alive, as the winner could treat the loser however he wished.

Dumas uses this morbid reference to animate the paint blobs, employing Marsyas as a motif that illustrates her connection to him in her artistic practice. She aligns herself with the satyr’s honesty and self-belief; just as Marsyas dared to challenge a god, her lifelong practice is a brave act upon itself. Through repeated work and an honest portrayal of her own reality, she reveals sentiments of injustice and grief on the canvas.

The faces looking out from the walls, though somewhat amorphous, contain the essence of imprinted sentiment. This feeling is heightened by the spaciousness of the galleries at Firth Street, which allows the aura of these figures to permeate the space. Walking through the rooms felt somewhat ominous, as if a group of creatures with beady eyes were observing your every move.

Nemesis, oil on canvas, 2024. All rights reserved to the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London.

Upon descending the staircase, one enters a darker realm—not just of the gallery but of her pieces. 'The Widow' lurks in the corner, a work related to the artist's personal tragedy, originally intended to illustrate the Dutch translation of Charles Baudelaire’s Le Spleen de Paris.

History, oil on canvas, 2003-2024. All rights reserved to the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London.

Dumas alludes to the Manichean nature of Heaven and Hell through the visions presented on her canvases. This solo show culminates in the evolution her practice has undergone over the past decade. She has relinquished control in favour of an intuitive expression of emotions. This exhibition is more confessional, contrasting with her previously calculated approach that addressed similar topics. Dumas remains a private individual but finds liberation in the automation of her process.

Published 18th October 2024.